Street-car bridge for bridging over fire-hose



7 (No Model.)

7 W. H. BAKER, STREET GAR BRIDGE FOR BRIDGING OVER FIRE: HOSE.

Patented Aug. 6, 1895.

MIMIIHHIW ITED STATES PATENT frrrcn.

WILLIAM H. BAKER, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 543,837, dated August6, 1895. Application filed May 1'7, 1895. Serial No. 549,638. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. BAKER, a citizen of the United States,residing at De troit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Street-Gar Bridges forBridging Over Fire-Hose, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in hose-bridges, and aims toprovide a cheap and simple bridge for passing street-cars over firehosewhich canbe easily and quickly placed in its operative position.

This object is attained by the use of the device illustrated in theaccompanying drawings; and the invention consists in certain novelfeatures of the same, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a hose-bridgeconstructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a side view ofthe same, showing the bridge in its operative position; and Fig. 3 is asimilar view showing the bridge arranged to be moved, portions of thesides being broken away in both Figs. 2 and 3 and shown in section.

The bridge consists primarily of a truck constructed in three sections,a central'section A and wings or end sections B, hinged to the ends ofthe said central section. These sections, are constructed of woodenbeams or rails adapted to rest on a oar-track and having metallic railsO secured on their top edges. The wings or end sections are tapered soas to present an inclined surface leading from the car-track to the topof the central section, so that the cars may easily pass over thebridge. In order to provide the necessary ground-wire when the bridge isused on electric roads, I insert the copper-plates D under the ends ofthe rails O and also provide the copper points or pins E, passingvertically through the sides of the bridge at frequent intervals. Theside beams of the bridge are joined and braced by the transverse bars Fand a central pipe or tube G, as clearly shown. The central bracing tubeor pipe provides a very strong brace having the minimum weight and alsoprovides means for passing a hose, the ends of hose-sections beingcoupled to the ends of the pipe.

The main hose-lines are passed througfil the bridge by being engaged inthe notches or sockets H formedin the meeting edges of the sections andare thereby held against removal. The truck is run up to the line ofhose, and the proper wing is then swung downward, so as to engage orclasp the hose, and this swinging of the wing-section simultaneouslylowers the truck upon the wheels, so that the wheels aid in supportingthe body and permit it to rest squarely on the car-track.

' The truck, it will be readily understood, is mounted on flanged WheelsI, which run on the car-tracks, in order that it may be readilytransported from the car-sheds to the scene of the fire. The wheelsrotate in recesses J in the sides of the truck and have their axlesjournaled in the oscillatory bars K, which are pivoted on the sides ofthe truck and extend outward somewhat beyond the axles. The ends of theend sections or wings are pivoted to the outer ends of levers L, whichare fulcrumed on the sides of the central section and have their innerends formed into fingers M, adapted to bear on and depress the free endsof the oscillatory bars K, as will be readily understood on reference toFigs. 2 and 3.

The side beams or bars of the truck are preferably composed of twotimbers bolted together. By crossing the grain of the timbers I lendadditional strength to the device, and by using two timbers I avoid agreat deal of the cutting away necessary to provide room for theoscillatory bars and the levers acting thereon.

The construction and arrangement of the several parts'of the bridgebeing thus made known, it is thought the manner of using it and itsadvantages will be instantly understood and appreciated. I

As hereinbefore stated, the truck is run over the car-tracks to thescene of the fire and the wings then swung downward, so as to clasp thehose in the joints. Two lines of hose are thus provided for, and a thirdline may be passed by coupling it in sections to the centralbracing-tube. As the wings are swung downward or outwardthey relieve thedownward pressure, on the levers L and carry the said levers around ontheir fulcrums, so that the oscillatory bars K may swing upward, whichaction takes place immediately, owing to the weight of the bridgecausing it to drop to the track. The truck or bridge will then rest onthe track and bear on the upper portions of the wheels, so that itcannot move. hen it is desired to return the bridge to the car-sheds,the end sections are swung upward and over ontothe central section, soas to 00- cupy but little space. As the sections are swung up and overthe levers L press downward on the free ends of the oscillatory bars K,and force the said bars downward, thereby carrying the wheels downward,so that they serve as fulcrums to raise the truck. The device is thencoupled to the first car which passes and returned to the car-sheds, acoupling-bar being provided at each end for this purpose. Thewheelflanges bear against the track-rails at all times to hold the truckthereon.

The device is simple in its construction'and can be instantly placed inposition, and as its height is only slightly greater-than the diameterof the hose the cars may pass over the hose without any inconvenience tothe passengers or danger to the hose.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. In a hose bridge, the combination of a central wheeled section, andtwo end sections hinged to the end of said central section and adaptedto fold over upon the same and being tapered downward toward their outerends, the adjacent ends of the sections being recessed to embrace thelines of hose substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a hose bridge, the combination of a central section, wheelssupporting said sec tion, and adapted to travel on the car track, meanscarried by the truck for movably supporting said Wheels, means forraising the truck for transportation and for lowering it to anchor it,and tapering end sections carried by the central sections, substantiallyas and for the purposes described.

3. A hose bridge consisting essentially of a wheeled truck, wings or endsections, and intermediate connections hinging the Wings to the truckand adapted to lower the truck onto the track or wheels when the wingsare swung outward and downward.

4. In a hose bridge, the combination of the cent 'al section,oscillatory bars pivoted to the sides of the same and carrying a wheeledaxle, end sections, and levers fulcrumed on the sides of the centralsection and having their inner ends bearing on the free ends of theoscillatory bars and their outer ends pivoted to the inner ends of theend sections.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM II. BAKER.

\Vitnesses:

GEORGE MGFARLANE, JAMES SAVILLE.

